Michigan Technological University will showcase Native American culture next week
at its 14th Annual Speakers’ Forum Friday, Oct. 23, followed on Saturday by the Spirit
of the Harvest Powwow.

In addition, the 2009 Canadian Country Music Association Female Artist of the Year,
Crystal Shawanda, will give a concert Oct. 24, at 7:30 p.m. in the Rozsa Center. For
more information or to buy tickets, go to the Rozsa Center website.

Speakers’ Forum, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Friday, Oct. 23, Rozsa Center

The Speaker’s Forum begins at 10 a.m. with a talk by Jessica Koski, a member of the
Keweenaw Bay Indian Community. She completed a BS in Social Sciences in May and is
now earning a master’s in environmental management at Yale University. Koski will
discuss how she navigated college as a Native student.

Lowery Begay, a dazzling championship hoop dancer, will perform from 11 a.m. to noon.
Begay grew up on the Navajo Reservation in New Mexico and Arizona and spent much of
his time with his grandparents learning Navajo ways, which are now both his calling
and his career.

Lowery has traveled all over the world and is a flutist, artist and fancy dancer,
and is currently ranked fourth in the world as a hoop dancer.

Crystal Shawanda, a Canadian country music singer and member of the First Nations
Ojibwe band, will give a talk beginning at 1 p.m. Born in Ontario and raised on a
reservation on Manitoulin Island, Shawanda has taken the country music world by storm.
Her hit single “You Can Let Go Now,” made it into the top 20 on the Billboard Country
Music chart.

Country Music Television documented her rise to fame in the six-part series “Crystal:
Living the Dream,” which aired in February 2008. She signed to RCA Records in 2007
and her debut single, “You Can Let Go,” reached top 10 on the Canadian Country Singles
Chart in January 2008 and four months later was released in the US.

Spirit of the Harvest Powwow Saturday, Oct. 24, noon-6 p.m.

The Spirit of the Harvest Powwow begins at noon with a Grand Entry into the Multipurpose
Room at the Student Development Complex.

Featured performers will be Lawrence Williams, head male dancer; Linda Cohen, head
female dancer; Robert Voakes, head youth male; Jade Chauder, head youth female; Robert
Rajacic, arena director; Four Thunders, host drum; Loon Travelers, invited drums;
Donald Chosa, head veteran; the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community Honor Guard; and master
of ceremonies Stanley Spruce.

Championship dancer Lowery Begay will give a hoop dance and flute exhibition at 1:30
p.m. Begay contributed art used on the powwow posters, and T-shirts with his artwork
will be for sale at the powwow.

The pink shawl presentation will be held at 4:30 p.m.

Native food, art and crafts will be available.

The Spirit of the Harvest Powwow and Speakers’ Forum are free and open to the public
and hosted by Michigan Tech and the American Indian Science and Engineering Society.

Michigan Technological University is a public research university, home to more than
7,000 students from 54 countries. Founded in 1885, the University offers more than
120 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science and technology, engineering,
forestry, business and economics, health professions, humanities, mathematics, and
social sciences. Our campus in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula overlooks the Keweenaw Waterway
and is just a few miles from Lake Superior.